Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Eating a feast of roast beast, stuffing ourselves and unbuttoning of all-the-sudden-too-tight-pants.

A little nativity with a little Joseph and a little Mary, holding a baby Jesus, while scriptures were read.

Children in matching jammies (my children will still be receiving matching Christmas jammies when they are 50 years old), peeking out the window in hopes to spot a little red nose.

Tucked into beds while sugar plums did their dances in sleepy little heads.

Parents-a-giggling as they stayed up much too late helping santa.

Christmas morning came, "did he come?"

He did.

Cookies were gone, stockings were full.

Children were smitten.

"Angles We Have Heard on High" was belted by two Littles from a church pew in the back.

Movies. Snuggling. Naps. Too many sweets.

And more naps.

Papers, boxes, bows, scattered about.

Legos, new paints, socks and undies (all new of course) in the mix.

Magic.

Everywhere.

Wishes that the day would never end.

Memories made, and saved until next year,

when we can do it all again.

***

I didn't do a Christmas card this year (aahahah....I say that like I have done a Christmas card lately.....I think it's been 6 years). So here is my two minute blog version complete with awesome graphics....just for you.

after Christmas Eve festivities.

***

and I am so so SO sorry to do this to you.

If you are anything like me right now, the very thought of sugar makes you gag.

or is that just me?

am I the only one who over over over ate?

BUT.

If you need one more treat to round off your year, before you hit those New Years resolutions.....let me offer you this.(and then I promise this blog is back to being good!)

Chocolate and Orange Layer Cake

this is basically the same cake as I made here (even identical pictures!). I just swapped out the raspberries for orange.

Chocolate Cake

2 ounces semisweet chocolate

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup boiling water

6 TBS butter, melted

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line bottom of two 8" pans with a round of parchment paper. Butter paper, and sides of pan.

(I don't have 4 pans, so I did two 8" pans, twice for my four layers)

Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with boiling water and cocoa powder. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

In a bowl add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat butter and sugar until combined. Add eggs (adding one at a time) until thickened slightly and light colored (about 3 minutes). Slowly add buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture, beating until combined well. Add flour mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined.

Spoon batter into pans (batter will divide into about 1 1/4c for each of four pans), and bake two at a time until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 12-15 minutes.

Repeat with two more cakes.

Cool cakes completely before frosting.

Whipped Orange Cream

2 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tsp pure orange extract
zest of 1 orange

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Whip cream on high speed for a few minutes until soft peaks start to form. Add powder sugar, orange and vanilla extract, and whip a little bit longer until you have reached a light and fluffy, whip creamy consistency.
Fold in orange zest.

Chocolate Buttercream

8 TBS butter

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp pure orange extract

A few TBS milk

Beat butter, cocoa, and powdered sugar, and orange extract. Add milk a little at a time until you reach a consistency you like.

Using a citrus zester or vegetable peeler, shred long strips of orange peel.
Place strips in a medium saucepan. Cover with cold water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Drain; repeat two more times with fresh water. This will take the bitterness out of the peel.
Place sugar in a clean saucepan with 1 cup water; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add the citrus strips to the boiling syrup; reduce heat, and simmer until strips are translucent, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat; let strips cool in syrup, at least 1 hour. Remove from syrup when ready to use.

Spread first layer of cake with whipped cream. Place another cake layer on whipped cream, and repeat with remaining layers. Spread the chocolate buttercream on the top layer and top with candied orange peel.

Now, hurry and eat it before the new year hits and you have to be good again.

IF the mixture starts to separate into globs of stickiness (legit culinary term), add 1TBS of hot water and continue to stir until mixture comes back together. (You can do this a few times if you need to, just don't add more than 1/4 cup of water)

Continue to stir until mixture starts to deepen in color, and the temperature on a candy thermometer reads between 300°-310°.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

This is a super easy (and suuuuuuper addictive) substance treat that I quickly whipped up when I realized I only had a few days left to put together something small for all of the amazing teachers in our lives.

I thought I'd share in case you were in need of some ideas to handout to friends and neighbors.

Black and White Popcorn

makes about 5-6 cups of popcorn

I made a few batches so we had lots to share

-2 TBS coconut oil

-1 cup popcorn kernels

-6oz dark chocolate

-6oz white chocoalte

-kosher salt

Maybe you are fancy and have popcorn popper--if so, follow the directions for that fancy machine, get your popcorn popped, and meet me in step two.

If you don't have a popcorn popper, begin here:

1. Add coconut oil to a LARGE stockpot with heat on medium. Add the kernels and give them a good shake in the pan so they are coated in oil. Put the lid on the pan, but leave it ajar so the steam can escape. After a few minutes your corn will start to POP!

Keep a close eye, er....ear on it, and when the popping slows down, take the pot off the heat so it doesn't burn.

2. Spread the popcorn out onto parchment paper.

3. Melt your white chocolate and dark chocolate using a double boiler, or microwaving in 30 second increments.

4. Drizzle your popcorn with the white and dark chocolate.

5. Sprinkle with salt while the chocolate is still warm.

6. Let chocolate cool and set up.

7. Package in a quick wrap of cellophane and string, or maybe you do much more adorable things and have your own adorable bags and labels and such.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Let me start out by saying that Christmas is exactly one bajillion times better with children.

ONE BAJILLION.

The magic they bring to the season is so tangible you can pluck it out of the air and hang it on the Christmas tree.

Everything--even the simple little parts of our day are so exciting to them this time of year.

As parents, we have loved creating new traditions for our own little family,
but we have also had a lot of fun pulling traditions from our own childhoods.

Growing up, my own mom made lots of cookies.
Lots. Of. Cookies.
In every flavor, shape, and form.
Dipped. Sprinkled. Frosted.
But my favorite cookie out of all of them wasThe Snowball.
A perfect little ball of buttery cookie, loaded with chocolate and nuts.

It is not officially the Christmas season until these cookies are baked, eaten, and shared.

And as much as I love to eat them, it's more than that.
I love to bake.
I love taking little bits of nothing, mixing them together in a bowl, and creating something warm and wonderful.
I love teaching little hands how to measure and shape cookies.
I love watching them sneak a taste when they think I'm not looking.
I love the time we get to spend together-anticipating our creation coming out of the oven.

I think I have blogged this recipe every year for the past 5 years......it is that important.Snowballs

I like to double this batch when I make it. They freeze well, and are perfect to pull out when you need to put together a quick plate of treats for a friend--just give them a fresh dusting of powdered sugar when you load them up on the plate.

Cream butter, vanilla, water, sugar and salt. Add flour and mix well. Stir in chocolate and nuts.
Form into 1” balls. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Cool for a few minutes. Roll in powdered sugar (or "make it snow" on top of them) while still warm.

enjoy!

We patiently waited for them to cool(ish), and popped them into our mouths.
It tasted just like Christmas.

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